12 Days of Valentines
by ILoveFowl
Summary: 12 romantic A/H ficlets. T to be safe.
1. Chapter 1

12 semiconnected ficlets of lurv :)

**#1**  
><strong>Roses and Dreams<strong>

Febuary 14th.

Shouldn't I be excited?

Well, I'm not. Because the only person I want to see this V-day is on the flippin _surface_.

They say God has a sense of humor. Ha ha ha, I fell in love with a _human_ who only wants to be friends with me, apparently. (Unless Orion gets a say.)

Yes, I have stopped denying my attraction for the Mud Boy. I mean, I'm not shouting it from the rooftops or anything, but it got kind of obvious when I started dreaming about him. Every night. Over and over and over and...

Yeah. You get the point.

I walk to the front door. The mailman should be here right about...

_DONG_!

Holly shook herself out of her reverie, reminding herself for the millionth time to change that stupid sound. Jacob must hate ringing her bell.

She pulled the door open. "Hey, Jake!"

"Hey, Holls," the sturdy mail-elf replied. "Package. Specially requested to come _today_." He winked. "Looks like someone's got a crush..."

She blushed. "Oh, shuddup. It's too early for teasing."

"And I need to be on my way. See you."

Waving and closing the door, Holly gazed at the package. Trouble, Foaly, or Chix would have presented her with the gift at work. So the likeliest option was...

_No! No hoping. I'll just bet it's a bomb, courtesy of Opal._

Tearing the tape just a bit at a time...

Telling herself NO, it was not a gift from him. That would be too... too...

Too _perfect_.

Closing her eyes, ripping it all the way open, and grasping...

_Oh, gods! YES! It _was_ him!_

An airtight bag, with three blood-red roses, held together by a gold ring.

So Holly did what any love-drunk female would do-put the flowers on a vase, slip the ring onto her finger (of _course_ it would fit perfectly. That was just so _Arty_), and dance around her flat for a good 15 minutes.

Then she saw the card.

It was in the box still, forgotten in her haste to touch the surface plants. Now she picked it up and slid it out of its envelope, nodding at its design. A simple red with black scroll patterns. Not busy, but not plain.

Breathing heavily, wondering whether to open it. If she did,and it didn't contain what she wanted it to, she would be highly upset. But if it did contain what she wanted it to...

Bliss. Pure bliss.

She opened it. It was handwritten, naturally, in a small but flowing cursive.

_Dear Holly,_

_I hope you are doing well. I am quite sure that I will not survive this holiday without injury, as Mother is once again berating me about my lack of female contact. I assured her not to worry, but I doubt that she will take me seriously. She has tried to 'set me up' with everyone from Minerva Paradizo to Juliet Butler (who is, if I may remind you, seven years older than myself). I assured her not to worry, and that if my current interest got any more defined, I would myself seek out a particular girl. Honestly, Holly, what is she thinking?_

The next paragraph was darker and thicker. Written more slowly and carefully.

_I do believe that I may have an interest in a female. But of course Fate would make it doubly complicated. For one thing, I cannot imagine what she will say if I admit it to her, making me extremely nervous. I am shivering as I write. And second, we are different species._

Holly dropped the card. Frozen.

Breathe.

"Oh, gods..." Her heart swelled inside her, warmth building in her chest. She dropped to her knees, scrabbling for the note. There was only one sentence left.

_Give me a chance, Holly?_

_Forever yours,_

_Artemis Fowl II_

**HAH. I intended for that to be a drabble.**


	2. Chapter 2

**This is NOT a continuation of chapter one. Entirely new.**

**New chappie! Finally, I was inspired! GUYS: I NEED HELP. I do not come up with one-shots. I need prompts, vague idea outlines, anything. I need you!**

**This is pre-TAC.**

The atmosphere was far less awkward than Holly had expected it to be. She was sitting in Fowl Manor, chatting amiably with Artemis.

And Minerva.

It hadn't been her idea, of course. Artemis had wanted the two of them to meet (to actually meet) and get to know one another a little better. No sense in letting pent-up feelings go sour.

The two genii had been careful not to speak down to her (metaphorically, at least), and a long, lazy, and rambling conversation had ensued.

Holly was enjoying herself until her throat began going dry. "Arty? I'm gonna go get a glass of water."

He turned toward her, and Holly shivered as her gaze met his. The shiver was a bit too pleasant for her liking, so she ignored it.

"Be careful," he urged as she pushed herself up off the sofa. "Don't fall off the counter."

Minerva leaned over to her friend, grasping his shoulder. "Leave the poor elf alone. I'm sure she hears it enough."

Holly conceded, gently punching Artemis's arm on her way past him. She didn't like how close he was to the Mud Girl. Somehow, she felt uneasy leaving the two of them alone. Paradizo was very pretty. Even if she was a year older than him now.

Too late, Short, she chided herself. You had your chance to stake a claim on him, and you passed. No good regretting it now.

But she did regret it. Deeply. As she strode out of the room, Holly worked hard to keep her spine from slumping.

On her way to the kitchen, just before she was out of earshot, she heard Artemis rebuke his human friend. "You were provoking her. When you touched me just now."

Holly froze, every locked muscle made of ice. The Mud Girl's laugh floated out to her, and she began to creep back towards the cracked door.

"On the contrary-I was testing her. Attempting to see if her love for you"-an indignant noise from Artemis-"runs as deep as yours for her."

"And what makes you think I'm in love with her, exactly?"

"I am a genius, Artemis. I cannot turn it on and off. What our diminutive friend is too modest to see is plain in my eyes. Do you deny what you feel?"

Holly squeezed her eyes shut, pressing her hands against the wall. Please... please, say you love me, Arty... I'll never hit you again... or, at least, not as much.

When Artemis spoke again, his voice was warm. "I would be a fool to think I could hide anything from you, Minerva. So tell me-what do you think?"

"I think she loves you-but you should ask her yourself."

Amused sarcasm dripped from his lips. "Right. When she comes back, I'll just casually ask her, 'So, Holly. Are you infatuated with me?' It isn't that simple."

"You will not have to wait for her to return."

"Why not?"

"She's standing in the hallway, eavesdropping."

There was an incredibly loud silence.

Holly tried to disappear. It didn't work.

Slowly, the door creaked open. She tentatively looked up, into Artemis's slightly red, smirking face.

Holly clearly saw that she had only two options.

One was to run. The other... was much more attractive.

So she grabbed Artemis by the collar and kissed him.

**Oh, yeah. I am GOOD. One sitting, and I puked out that entire thing.**

**So, if anyone had a quickie plot that they don't want to write themselves, or a prompt that they can't do anything with, or heck, even an inspirational song lyric that they want to pass along, SEND IT TO ME!**

**And if anyone needs a beta... I'm open. :)**

**ILoveYou!**

**~~ILoveFowl**


	3. Chapter 3

**Thanks to my reviewer Tawny for the "stormy weather" prompt... here you are. **

It was a dark and stormy night.

Actually, it was a dark and stormy _day_, and Holly was stuck inside.

She was absolutely thrilled.

Because she was stuck inside Fowl Manor, curled up under an enormous blanket, in front of a blazing fire.

_Especially_ because she was curled up under the blanket with the nicest guy _ever_.

Who cared that he was a forger, thief, and kidnapper? He was a hell of a lot nicer than Trouble. In her opinion, anyway. Not that he knew she felt like that. But she was pretty sure that he had invited her up today while fully aware of the weather forecast. After all, the near-hurricane lashing against the window had begun only 15 minutes after she arrived, and Artemis never missed a detail.

Except when he was asleep. Like he was now. Holly felt a little guilty for boring him to the point of unconsciousness, but as he fell asleep, he had grabbed at the warm body next to him... hers, specifically.

Any random spectator would have sworn they were a couple. It almost made Holly wish that there were a random spectator, simply so that she could say, "See? I am too capable of catching Artemis Fowl. In your face, Kelp."

In fact... if a random spectator cropped up, she hoped it was Kelp. So she could rub his nose in it. Again and again and again.

Not that she _liked_ the Mud Boy or anything. In _that_ way.

Only... she did, a little.

_Just_ a little.

The arm around her waist shifted, pulling her in tighter. Artemis murmured in his sleep.

Holly felt a rush of heat flood through her.

Okay. Maybe she liked him more than a little.

"Holly," he breathed.

She jolted, hearing her name. "I'm here, Arty."

No reply. He was still asleep. Holly closed her eyes and joined him.

**OMG! Are you saying, "Where, ILF, is the hot and heavy descriptive make-out session that you always give us? Where is the lame confession of love that Artemis makes to Holly, followed by a passionate embrace? Why have you only given us a deep, A/H drabbley thing with no conclusion, where the best conclusion must be drawn by the reader?" The answer is... BECAUSE I FELT LIKE IT! SHUT UP!**

**I'll do something sexy in Chapter 4. I promise.**


	4. Chapter 4

**A million thanks to Ru-Doragon for the fabulous prompt. This idea hit me like a battering ram. It probably wasn't quite what she expected, but I think it's epic. And it's what I think that matters... RIGHT?**

**Promised sexiness enclosed!**

* * *

><p><strong><strong>  
>Having Holly visit while Juliet was in the manor was a really bad idea. Artemis was fully aware of this fact. He went through with it anyway.<p>

Why, one might ask, would a genius do something so obtrusively idiotic?

Because neither female was giving him any godsdamned peace.

The wrestler had asked Artemis to arrange a visit from the newly appointed major before she said "hello."

Three days of relentless guilt-trips later, Artemis had given in.

Now he was regretting it.

"I am _not_ short!"

"You are!"

"Am not!"

"Are too!"

"Am _not_!"

"Are too!"

"D2!"

"What?"

"Oh, c'mon... R2D2?"

"Ohhhhhhhh... distraction techniques. I see," she snorted, leaning in to touch her nose to the elf's. "Holly?"

"Yes?"

"You're short."

"_I am no_-"

Artemis decided it was his prerogative to cut in, lest they continue at it all day. "Holly. From a human's point of view, especially a closed-minded human, you _are_ small. View it as an advantage. If the swallow was the size of the hawk, it would not be able to evade it in flight. Since it is smaller and more maneuverable, it can avoid becoming a meal."

Holly blinked at him a couple of times, then triumphantly turned back to the girl sitting next to her. "_HA_! He called you closed-minded!"

The Fowl groaned and returned to his book, hoping to be left out of it. Somehow, he didn't want to leave the room.

He was not. "Arrrrrtyyyyy," Juliet whined. "Tell her you didn't mean me."

"But I did. Don't call me Arty." End of conversation? No.

"Arty. Did you just compare me to a swallow?"

He groaned. "It was only an analogy, I assure you."

Juliet chimed in. "And did you compare _me_ to a _hawk_?"

"Again, only a parallel situation..."

The two women looked at each other, suddenly allied against this new enemy. "Hey," the blonde said suddenly. "How come she can call you Arty?"

The elf's heterochromatic eyes sparked. "Yeah, _Arty_," she said, somehow both innocent and venomous. "How come I get preference?"

Artemis swallowed hard. How was it that Holly couldn't touch hypothetical romance between the two of them with a ten-foot pole when they were alone, yet suddenly when she had a chance to embarrass him in front of someone else, she jumped at it?

Females.

"Because, Holly," he said carefully, ignoring his heart's painful squeeze when he said her name, "you have saved my life numberless times, and Juliet has not."

"Ex-_cuse_ me! _Who_ scaled the Spiro Needle for you?"

"Mulch."

"Who was _attached_ to Mulch?"

Artemis looked up, wide-eyed and innocent. "I don't remember."

Juliet retained her composure and said casually to Holly, "I know why you can call him Arty."

Holly thought she knew what the wrestler was doing. "Why?"

Juliet grinned, and sprung her trap. "Because that's easier to scream."

Absolute silence. For about five seconds.

Then suddenly the two girls were on the floor, a tangle of well-aimed blows, unflattering words, and (on Juliet's side, anyway,) hysterical laughter. "Come on, Short!" she said gleefully, pinning the fairy at last. "You know you wouldn't be this affected if it wasn't true!"

Artemis sincerely hoped that the two of them got up soon, because looking at Holly sweaty and panting, her hips resting between Juliet's knees, was giving him some very... interesting ideas.

The elf spluttered. "Gods, what is your _problem_? So I call him by his nickname, so what? 'Artemis' _is_ a bit of a mouthful! Honestly, you could turn Chinese jump rope into an innuendo!" she spat, pulling the most random thing she could think of out of her head.

Juliet grinned widely. "In... and out. In... and out."

"Juliet!" Artemis shouted, at the breaking point at last. "Out!"

"And _in_?"

"_JULIET BUTLER_!"

"Straddle, and jump on top, and in, and out..."

The teenage genius was forced to look away from the wrestler's mock-seductive face. Unfortunately, his eyes came to rest on Holly, who was similarly affected by the provocative words reaching her pointy ears.

The elf was squirming, rocking her hips back and forth, trying to get a hold of herself and failing dismally. "I am never," she whispered, "going to forgive you for this."

"Yes, you are."

"And _why_?"

"Because of what I am about to do."

Juliet stood, grabbing the LEP officer by the scruff of the neck and picking her easily up. She turned, heading toward the door, and just as she was passing the armchair where a bewildered Artemis was sitting, she snapped the fairy-wielding arm out, crushing Artemis and Holly's faces together. One specific part of their faces, actually.

Then she left, locking the door behind her.

Not that the two people still in the room noticed that.

When lip contact had been made, both of them had frozen, expecting the other to fling themselves back in disgust. A few seconds later, Artemis dared to wonder if maybe, _maybe_, Holly was... enjoying this?

A moment after that, Holly's brain, which had been paralyzed, came alive with startling intensity. The logic was: _He hasn't pushed you off yet, Short. Translation: You are now authorized to eat his face._

She opened her mouth, frantically pushing her tongue between his lips, raking over his teeth. She moaned.

And Artemis, who had been momentarily overcome by her taste and feel and undiluted eagerness, came to life, rising up and crushing the tiny woman between his chest and the back of his chair. He fought off her tongue with his, dipping into her mouth and pulling himself tighter against her when she started sucking. The chair they were sitting on could have exploded at that point, but Fowl was beyond noticing. All he knew-all he ever wanted to know-was this amazing elf he was kissing.

So he pulled back for a moment and told her so.

And not too long after that, Holly forgave Juliet. Because, simply put, she was right.

"Arty" _was_ easy to scream.****

***laughs* I'm not sure how good most of that was, but I think the end made up for it, don't you?**


	5. Chapter 5

This idea came to me while I was listening to-of course-Ladies' Choice by Zac Efron from Hairspray. Enjoy (or not).  
>Also, I am typing this on my iTouch, so blame autocorrect for everything.<p>

* * *

><p>"Sweet maiden, I love thee more than-"<p>

"Orion?"

"Yes, my lovely?"

"Shut up."

Holly's frustration level was about three notches away from "explosive" and it was a wonder she had lasted this long. Every day after work she came to visit Artemis, whether he was Artemis or not, but on those occasions when the boy had taken on his softer personality she usually had had to leave quickly so as to avoid causing Orion (and thus Artemis) harm. Today, however, a sense of duty was keeping her rooted in place-a dangerous combination of guilt, self-confidence, and stupidity told her that she could do this. _Just deal with him for an hour. It'll mean a lot to both of them._

_And try to ignore whatever he says..._

"Shut up? Ah, but maiden, you have not heard me sing!"

_...Unless whatever he's saying includes a chance for marvelous blackmail material._

"Sing?" she asked innocently.

Inside his own mind, Artemis struggled, pounding against the mind-screen. That usurping romantic traitorous idiot! Why, why, why did he have to offer to sing to _Holly_?! Anyone, _anyone_ else...

"Yes, my sweet. Artemis, though he does not care to bandy about the truth, has a singing voice sweeter than a bird's and clearer than purest water..."

Holly tuned him out, thinking this over. On one hand, encouraging Orion was generally a bad idea. On the other...  
>One: blackmail.<br>Two: she would get to hear Artemis sing. Even if he wasn't the person using his vocal cords, they were still his vocal cords. And he would be singing to her.  
>Three: blackmail. Because it bears repetition.<p>

"Orion," she said sweetly, "I would love to hear you sing."

Allow me to illuminate the things Holly overlooked.  
>One: while she was aware that Artemis could see the world around him while repressed to the back of his mind, she didn't know that he could "talk" to Orion while there.<br>Two: when she met him, Artemis's alter ego had been a calm and innocent boy, and after having avoided prolonged contact with him for so long, she didn't know that this could change-and indeed, had done so already. Orion was not a solid personality; he was a dumping ground for all of Artemis that Artemis ignored. Every thought that crossed the young genius's mind and was left unacknowledged went to Orion. And since Artemis had been seeing more of Holly lately, he thought about her even more than usual. And because he thought about her even more than usual, his mind got tired of recycling more innocent ideas of attraction and kicked into higher gear. (This state of affairs was not helped by Holly's tendency to wear tank tops.) Every inappropriate thought was shunted to the side, and integrated into Orion.  
>Three: Artemis was evil.<p>

"Oh fairest maiden, I beseech thee, tell me what song I may sing to win your gentle heart!"

Holly thought fast for the most sexual and humiliating song she knew as she drew a cell phone from her pocket. "I think... Do you know 'Ladies Choice' from Hairspray? And may I record you?" This last was said as cutely as possible.

No, Artemis thought.

"Yes," Orion said. "To both questions. Now, kind Holly, if you will move, because I must stand to sing to my full potential, and you deserve nothing less."

In the seat where she was, Holly couldn't view the open area of the floor where Orion now stood. To be able to watch (and thus record) him, she needed to face the other way. But the alternate option…

Was the bed.

The elf swallowed hard. She had sat on the bed before, and indeed slept there, on the mental patient's worse nights, protectively cuddled up to him in a way that made her heart wrench when she thought back on it. But that was with Artemis. Artemis was not in love with her (sadly), not incredibly sappy (luckily), and not about to jump her bones (indescribably unfortunate, in her opinion).

She gingerly crawled over the sheets and rested firmly against the wall, looking around threateningly as if the blankets were going to attempt to strangle her.

Orion was done warming up his voice. From the back of his head, Artemis made one last plea for mercy.

_Don't do this, Orion. Imagine what she will do to me._

The reply was not one he was expecting.

_Don't worry, Artemis. I have a plan._

The Irish genius poked around in his alter's thoughts for a few seconds, then reared back. _Are you kidding? She'll kill us!_

_I think not._

_I think yes!_ Artemis thought. _Let me out! Don't do this!_

Too late. For now, all he could do was watch.

Holly thought everything was going wonderfully, as Orion lost his preoccupied look and cleared his throat. She started the camera, gently setting it on the bedside table. The boy who looked like Artemis Fowl stared at the floor for a moment, getting into character, then, taking a breath, looked at her with the most sleek, sultry, _stunning_ expression that had ever been shot in her direction.

_Now that I think about it, he does look a little like Zac Efron... Especially with his hair like that._

"Hey little girl with the cash to burn..."

Holy stinkworm dung. Orion had clearly not been exaggerating his vocal talents; his voice was low and smooth, twisting around and into her, forming each note like the melody was written for it.

Artemis's fears were somewhat assuaged when he saw the 'deer in the headlights' expression on his best friend's face. _Alright. Maybe this could work._

"Hey, little girl, take me off the shelf..." Orion stepped towards the bed, bending down and singing quietly in a frozen Holly's ear, "'Cause it's hard having fun playing with yourself..."

Holly nearly whimpered. _Too true._

She was barely hearing the words, now she heard the metaphors, the insinuations. She didn't see herself blackmailing Artemis, she saw herself... Well, doing what the song was asking.

_Compose yourself! This is not Arty, and if he realizes what you're feeling do you honestly think you will ever hear the end of it?_

She couldn't tear her eyes away.

"Hey little girl on a spending streak, I don't come cheap but the kisses come free..."

_DAMN. Orion can dance._

"On closer inspection, I think you'll agree... He lept onto the bed, trapping Holly between his arms and once again putting his lips to her ear. "I'm the ladies choice."

Artemis could feel what Orion was feeling, the adrenaline pumping through his virtual limbs, and he was almost incoherent when he thought of something. "Her ears! Ears are a major erogenous zone of the elfin body!" he spat out.

Holly's brain was fogged, her heart was racing, and her palms were sweaty. _He's not Arty,_ her brain pleaded.

_But he looks like Arty, _her heart whined back.

_But..._

_But nothing! He is-_

Her brain gave up the fight and vacated the premises when something soft and warm brushed the outer shell of her ear.

_His lips? Wow, that was good. But I can't let him do that agai-holy CRAP, do that again!_

Suddenly, Orion jerked back, closing his eyes and concentrating for a second. He looked and her and said, "goodbye."

_Huh_? thought the elf, more than a little puzzled. In fairness, she likely would have realized what was happening if she had been in complete control of herself.

The boy's eyes sharpened, but the overtone of lust did not clear.

"Artemis?" she asked, still not quite sure what was going on. _Okay, if that's Arty, he'll apologize and get off me. That is a good thing._

She still felt a little disappointed.

Artemis calmed her fears (and excited a lot of other things) by taking a gamble and moving forward exactly six and a half inches. That movement changed the world.

Because it brought his lips in contact with hers.

Holly about had a heart attack. Singing, ears, Arty, life was just too confusing. So she did the logical thing.

She grabbed the human's hair in both hands and kissed the hell out of him. Then they continued where Orion had left off.

* * *

><p>Okay, I think I owe you an apology for that awful chapter.<p> 


	6. Chapter 6

**All hail Tawny, one of my semi-official prompters.**

"_Please_, Holly."

She was _dying _to comply with his request, but seeing him squirm was so fun...

Choices, choices.

"I don't know... I might not be able to get off work tomorrow..."

"You _can_. I talked to Foaly already."

"But if I can get a day off work, why would I want to: A, get out of _bed_; B, be stuck on a commercial shuttle for an hour; C, have to be in a _car _with _you_, and then D, help babysit two insane little Mud Boys, a task that their older brother _should _be able to do on his own?"

"Because I asked nicely."

She smiled at hearing him utter a sentence made of four words. "Oooooooh, _death_!"

"Holly!"

She stared hard at his image on the communicator screen for several seconds, pretending that her mind wasn't already made up. "I have made my decision," she said proudly.

Her human friend raised a questioning eyebrow.

"You will find out what it is tomorrow."

Artemis let his head flop back. "_Why_?"

"Because then if I change my mind, I can pretend that was my decision all along."

"No, I meant, _why did God give me a best friend this annoying_?"

"Awww, you're sweet," she teased, poking the screen. "Now I have to go. This conversation has eaten up, pun absolutely intended, most of my lunch break. I need to actually eat."

"Goodbye."

"Bye. Possibly see you tomorrow."

Artemis shook his head in exasperation and closed his ring, but while reflecting on the past few minutes, he couldn't resist an affectionate smile.

0o0o0o0o0

Thank Heaven for headrests.

For some reason that Holly refused to acknowledge, she hadn't gotten much sleep last night.

It had _absolutely nothing_ to do with the fact that she knew she was going to see Arty today.

_Artemis_. Not Arty.

Absolutely no non-platonic affection there. Completely _friend_ly.

Yeah.

Holly sighed, and slipped back into a doze.

0o0o0o0o0

_Where is she?_

The shuttle was delayed. It's alright.

_What if it crashed?_

It didn't. She's okay.

_But what if..._

Stop what-iffing.

_But..._

Just shut up, alright?

_Is that the shuttle?!_

Yes. Calm down.

_Where _is _she?_

She sat near the back, obviously.

_There she is!_

You are Artemis Fowl II! Stop getting yourself worked up. She is only a girl.

_She is not!_

Yes, she is.

_Is not!_

"Hey, Arty."

Artemis jumped, jerking out of his thoughts. He mentally punched himself in the face. _Do not _ever _let yourself get distracted around her! The slightest deviation from full attention on yourself could result in you saying-or heaven forbid, doing-something that will completely blow any chance of hiding your feelings you might have out of the water. Focus, Fowl._

He took a deep breath, and turned to the elf who was sliding into the passenger's seat. "So, was this your original decision, or did you change your mind?"

She zipped her lips. "Not telling."

"_But I a__sked nicely_. You keep telling me to be a kinder person, and now when I am, all you do is take advantage of it."

"Exactly-why do you think I wanted you to be kinder in the first place?"

Incriminating stare of death.

Holly giggled.

Pulling back onto the main road, Artemis pushed harder on the gas, and the Irish countryside started whipping past. Holly rolled down her window and stuck her head out. She cheered just because, and when the human glanced over at her, a gasp stuck in his throat.

She was _beautiful_.

The wind ran its strong fingers through Holly's hair, allowing the sun to glint off its every facet. The light played over her face, illuminating every plane of golden skin. Feeling his gaze, her bright eyes snapped over, meeting with his in a playful stare. She smirked softly.

If Opal had materialized and shot him right then and there, Artemis Fowl would have died happy.

"Eyes on the road, Mud Boy," she yelled over the rushing of the wind, "or are you trying to kill us both?"

Artemis found that her teasing only made him happier. His heart was light and he didn't much care about anything else-if he hadn't been driving, he might have leaned over and kissed Holly just because right now, in this moment, he was so ecstatic it seemed impossible that she felt any other way toward him than exactly how he felt toward her.

His friend drew back inside, giving him an odd look. "What's that face?" she inquired, leaning toward him and poking his cheek.

He looked down at the elf resting on his shoulder. "You look...free...above ground. In a way that you never do in Haven. It's... quite captivating."

Blushing, she made to pull away from him, but Artemis took a gamble, removing one hand from the wheel and wrapping it around her shoulder, moving her back against him. She squeaked in friendly protest, but let herself be squeezed, silently appreciating the fact that she was too small to fit in a seatbelt, thus allowing them to be in this position.

"You're feeling affectionate," she noted.

"I can't afford to not show affection, I get to see you too rarely."

"…or maybe you're turning into a big puddle of undignified mushiness."

"Don't be ridiculous," he said loftily. "I am never mushy."

"So when I kiss your cheek and you blush, that isn't mushy?"

"I don't blush."

Holly kissed his cheek.

Artemis blushed.

She pointed smugly at his cheek. "Evidence," she declared. "Artemis Fowl is mushy."

He sighed and smiled, bearing the ribbing. He'd had worse.

0o0o0o0o0

As they pulled into Fowl Manor's garages, neither could breathe for laughing. Artemis was having trouble holding the wheel straight, Holly was gesticulating wildly as she attempted to continue her story, and both had tears streaming down their faces while they fought for self-control. "And then," the elf gasped, "Foaly reaches for water, to put it out... Because he left it right... Right next to his test tubes, because he knew there was a danger of combustion... but instead of grabbing the water, since he's panicked, he grabs-" At that point she succumbed to a hysterical fit of giggles, and Artemis finally managed to park.

"What?" the human asked, still shaking.

"He grabs..." Holly doubled over. "Magnesium!"

"No!" Artemis yelped, starting to laugh again, knowing full well what magnesium does when mixed with fire. "Is he okay?"

"Yeah... but... Oh gods, it was hysterical, I had a complete breakdown..."

Artemis reached over and shook her. "What?"

She threw her head back and howled, "His forelock! The entire thing is completely singed off!"

The two of them locked eyes for a second, formed the mental image, then fell on top of each other, laughing too hard to care about anything except air.

0o0o0o0o0

They did eventually make it inside, still feeling lightheaded and dizzy, and occasionally making eye contact and chuckling.

"Forelock," Artemis said, and Holly walked into him, clutching at her ribs.

"I'll take a picture for you. It'll make fabulous blackmail."

"Thank you," Artemis said, looking down at her and again being caught off guard by how protective he felt of the little woman. In a fight, there would've very little he could do to protect her, besides act as a human shield, but there was still an archaic desire in him to wrap her in his arms and never let go.

He ignored it. Painfully.

"So are your parents gone yet?"

"Yes, Juliet is looking after the boys until we get in there, then she'll leave." _And we'll be all alone, besides two young boys… do you like that prospect, Holly? What's going on inside that ginger head?_

As they crunched across the gravel drive, she swung smoothly around and faced him, walking backward. "So they're Myles and Beckett, right?"

"Yes. Five years old and absolute menaces."

"Are they like you?"

"How do you mean?"

"Are they irritating little pricks who are so full of themselves they're overflowing?"

He looked at her in mock horror, a hand to his chest. "How could you? I am meek and humble."

He said it in such an overbearing way that she couldn't help but laugh. If she had looked at his face just then, she would have seen a euphoric expression pass briefly over his features. But she looked behind her, watching where she was going, and missed it.

"Are they smart?" Holly clarified, skipping onto the path leading to the Manor's imposing front doors.

"Myles is quite intelligent, Beckett... well, he reminds me of you, actually."

"Me?"

"Yes. He's reliant on the physical, clever, smart in entirely his own way... and he's tiny." He glanced down; Holly was blushing at the first three comparisons and trying to scowl at the fourth.

"I am not tiny."

He raised an eyebrow.

"...To other fairies."

His other eyebrow came up to join the first.

"To pixies, then."

He made a noncommittal noise.

"Hey! It's true!"

"Of course, whatever you say."

"Ar-tyyyyyyy!" she said, pounding her little fists repeatedly into his thigh. "I. Am not. Tiny."

"Mm-hmmmm," he replied, reaching out to open the front door. "Three feet isn't tiny whatsoever. What a preposterous notion."

Knowing he was teasing her, she opened her mouth to snap a retort, but just then there was a call from within the house: "Boys! Artemis is home!"

Two little whirlwinds came out of nowhere and slammed into their elder brother. "Aht-mis, can we go dig a castle?" asked the blonde one. The black-haired one replied, "No, Beck, he's gonna do 'speriments with me, right, Artemis?"

Thank gods they aren't identical, Holly thought, looking between them.

"Boys, wait. This is Holly."

Two pairs of dark brown eyes were suddenly drilling into her.

"Is she the one you talk about all the time?" Beckett asked.

"The one you tell us stories about?" Myles added.

Holly raised her eyebrows at him.

"I-I don't talk about you all the time," he protested. This raised a rain of refutation.

"You do too!"

"It's annoying!"

"Mum says you _like_ her!"

Artemis dropped his head into his hands. They hadn't even finished introductions yet. He knew telling them about her would come back to bite him.

"Holly," he said through his fingers, "this is Myles," he gestured to the black-haired budding genius, "and Beckett," he pointed to the curly-headed blonde, who rushed forward to hug her.

Holly returned it affectionately, already liking him. "Thank the gods they didn't both take after you," she commented. "Keep him away from me when he turns twelve."

"Why?" Myles asked. "Did you not tell us a story, Art-mis?"

"Oh, there are lots of things Holly and I have done that you don't know about," he answered with a smirk.

Holly blushed, thinking about one of those things on particular.

"Hey, Holly!" Juliet cried, pirouetting into the room.

"Hi," she replied, a bit awkwardly. She knew that Juliet had regained her memories, of course, but she hadn't actually seen the human girl yet.

"My God, it's been AGES," the wrestler gushed, sweeping the fairy into her arms and proceeding to methodically suffocate her. "It's been, like, since you told me I had too much heart to be a bodyguard, at the mind wipe… I guess I remembered, after all. Okay, have fun, kiddos! Don't demolish the house! Oh, and make sure the twins don't do anything bad, either."

She swept out the door, blonde hair fluttering behind her.

"Somebody got her caffeine this morning," Holly rasped, massaging her ribs.

"She doesn't take caffeine, avoids it like the plague. Are you okay?"

She stretched. "Yep. Where'd the boys go?"

Artemis cracked his knuckles. "Let the games begin," he said.

0o0o0o0o0

An hour later, an all-out take-no-prisoners game of hide and seek was underway. Holly, Myles, and Beckett were huddled atop a ceiling beam in a sitting room, waiting for Artemis to come in. Myles had been admittedly nervous about being hefted ten feet off the ground, but in the end he had allowed Holly to gently toss him from an armchair to a bookshelf, and from there lift him onto the thick plank of sandpapered wood running above the room. Beckett had no such qualms, and viewed the whole thing as an adventure.

Footsteps approached. The door opened. Artemis walked below them, checking behind sofas and under tables.

"Remember the plan?" Holly breathed I Beckett's ear.

He nodded.

"Three, two, one..."

Artemis walked past them.

"Now!" she yelled, throwing the blonde boy.

The teenager's arms automatically came up, catching Beckett, and he stumbled backward.

"Phase two," the LEP captain grunted, wrapping an arm around Myles and jumping after.

The four of them landed in a tangled heap on the thickly carpeted floor, laughing and yelping and rolling over and over. Somehow, when they came to rest, Holly was on her back, a twin under each arm, Artemis on hands and knees above her. Their hair was messy, their faces were flushed, noses almost brushing…

Beckett yawned loudly, shattering the moment.

"You need a nap, don't you, Beckett?" Artemis said ruefully, leaning back on his heels. "Holly, can you watch Myles for a few minutes?"

"I… sure, yeah. Of course." Her heart wrenched. Even a kiss with two five-year-olds watching was better than none at all.

Myles watched them go as his twin went from energetic to exhausted in the space of two seconds.

The door shut, leaving Holly feeling a bit awkward. She zoned out a bit, in fact, until a small hand tugged on her sleeve. "Oh, I'm sorry, Myles, I was just thinking."

"He says your name in his sleep."

That was not what she expected. "_What_?!"

The boy looked a bit ashamed. "Our room is just down the hall from Artemis's. I hear him yelling in his sleep every night, so…" he stared at his shoes, fidgeting. "I snuck out a week ago and listened at his door. He was screaming 'I'm sorry, Holly, please, I'm sorry I lied, don't go.'" He looked up a her. "Why did he lie to you?"

Holly was too shocked to reply.

"And the next night, I snuck out again, and he was crying. He said 'no, Holly, please, please, come back, I'm going to kill Abbot. I wanted to help you, I'm so sorry, Holly, I love you, really.' Are you two going to get married? Cause Daddy says he loves Mommy, and they're married. And Artemis said 'I love you' the way Daddy says it to Mommy."

Holly covered her mouth with her hands.

"Did I upset you? I'm sorry, I thought you'd want to know."

"I did," she forced out. "I mean, I do… whatever. Thank you, Myles." She put her hands on his shoulders, looking into his eyes, looking for a trace of Artemis to calm her. She found that cocky intelligence, and clung to it, trying to slow her breathing.

The door opened.

They threw themselves away from one another, assuming ridiculously casual positions. Eyes wide, the three people examined each other for a moment, Artemis taking in Holly's flushed cheeks, bright eyes, and spastic breathing. "Myles," he said without taking his eyes off her, "how about you go do some experiments in your lab?"

"Okay, Artemis," he said cheerfully, skipping out the door. As soon as he third presence was gone, the elf found she couldn't bear the human's gaze anymore, and she looked away.

"Holly," he said deceptively calmly, "what did he say?"

She didn't reply. He crossed the room in two strides, taking hold of her chin and gently twisting her head to face him. She averted her eyes. "Holly," he whispered, and he felt her shiver. Liking the reaction, he knelt on front of her and said her name again. This time, she visibly squirmed.

"What did he say?"

"I love you."

It took her a moment to realize what had just come out of her own mouth. "Oh my gods, I didn't mean it like that. I mean, I did, but I didn't mean to say it like that. I mean, I _did_, but I didn't mean to _say_ it…" she gave up and hyperventilated instead.

They stared dumbly at each other for a moment.

"He said you say my name in your sleep," Holly added helpfully.

There was a little more dumb staring. Then, little by little, the humor of the situation impressed itself on them.

Holly's lip twitched.

Artemis's eyes twinkled.

All at once, they burst out laughing, falling into the other's arms and finding themselves immediately at home. Lips met as though it was what they had been designed to do, white fingers tangled in red hair, brown hands pulling at black buttons, nearly tearing them off, reveling in the scent of his skin, reaching further downward-

_Boom_.

The ardor dissipated rather quickly when they realized that Myles had blown something up.

They eyed each other for a moment.

Holly's lip twitched.

0o0o0o0o0

For those awesome people who see humor in everything.


	7. Chapter 7

This was actually an idea I had a long time ago, back when I was writing on Artemis Fowl fangathering dot com, and that I tried to write but ended up scrapping. Not that I am older and wiser, I think I can make it vaguely non-vomit-y.

Pretend Vinyaya never died.

0o0o0o0o0

Holly suited up nervously, remembering that day six years ago.

_"No," she cried, clinging to his lapels. "No! You can't do this!"_

_"Let go, Holly," he urged, gently unwrapping her fingers. "Let me go."_

There's a saying: if you love something, let it go. If it was meant to be, it will return to you.

She was returning to him.

_"Please, Artemis," she sobbed. "They can't pull us apart."_

_"Six years is nothing to your lifespan."_

_"It's too long."_

_"I'm too much of a liability. They have me in their debt, they want to squeeze everything they can out of it."_

_"Six years!"_

0o0o0o0o0

21-year-old Artemis Fowl II straightened his tie for the two hundred fifty-third time. He was counting, not as a symptom of Atlantis Complex but as a calming tactic for his racing heart.

_"The Council wants to speak with you, human." _

_"What do they want?"_

_He stepped into the council room, and Raine Vinyaya stepped forward to address him, real unhappiness in her catlike eyes. "Artemis Fowl," she said, and he suddenly realized what they wanted. Not a mind wipe. Something much worse_.

Artemis took a deep breath, pushed back his hair, and went out onto his balcony.

And he waited.

0o0o0o0o0

_She walked through the by-now familiar hallways of the Argon Clinic. Everyone recognized her, and envied the human for having such a pretty, regular visitor. She eagerly turned the last corner-and found herself face-to-face with a remorseful Vinyaya. _

_"What happened?" Holly demanded. _

_"I'm sorry," her old superior whispered. _

Holly soared through the skies, for once not wasting time admiring the landscape. Her destination-and the man who awaited her there-encompassed her full attention.

0o0o0o0o0

He clutched at the railing, for a moment allowing his nerves to overcome him. Perhaps she wasn't coming. Perhaps there was something else she was doing, someone else she would rather be with. It was a thought that had haunted him for the past six years. 2,191 days, he thought absently. 52,584 hours. 3,155,040 minutes.

Maybe she just wasn't coming back to him. Maybe it wasn't meant to be, after all. Tears gathering in his eyes, he pictured her embracing some stranger, her beautiful red hair covered by a lace veil…

No. She had promised to be here. The least he could do was trust her. She had done that and more for him.

His long white fingers fisted in his hair. How could he begin to repay his debt?

0o0o0o0o0

For the thousandth time, she considered turning around. It had been so long. What if he wasn't still her Arty? What if he was cold, distant, archly intelligent and uncaring?

Her eyes stung.

_"I'm so sorry," Vinyaya repeated. "The Council wants six years of silence."_

_For a second the words just didn't register. "Excuse me?"_

_"He's not allowed to contact the People. Any of them. Including you. Private or otherwise. For six years."_

_It still wasn't sinking in. "You can't do that."_

_"I'm afraid we can… it's been done. I was the only one who voted against it. You're allowed to go say goodbye."_

_Holly stared into the distance for a moment as the horror slowly impressed itself into her mind, where it would remain for the next six years_.

The lights of Fowl Manor came into view.

0o0o0o0o0

Artemis laid his forehead on his hands. Why would she come? To revive a relationship with the human who kidnapped her, exploited her, lied to her, and then vanished from her life?

0o0o0o0o0

_"I hate them," she said, hugging him closer, as though that could keep him from being ripped away. _

_"Shhh," he comforted. "It'll be all right."_

_She met his eyes. "The moment I can, I will come to you. I promise, Arty. I'll come."_

_He nodded. "Holly, there's something I need to tell you, that I probably should have said earlier, but-"_

_The door opened. Without releasing him, Holly turned to see half the Council. She opened her mouth to say something, preferably something nasty involving choice bits of anatomy, but found a finger pressed over her lips. _

_"Don't try to contact me," Artemis said. "That'll only make this worse. Goodbye."_

_"Goodbye," she said, desperately, as he was led away. When the door shut after him, she flung herself onto the bed, burying her face in his smell, and screamed. _

_"I love you!" she yelled belatedly. "I _love_ you, Artemis!"_

0o0o0o0o0

What if he doesn't want to see me? What if he's not even home? He could be out on a date with Minerva.

She felt slightly sick.

Kicking up her legs, she turned off her shield and dove down, trying to forget her doubts.

Oh, gods, there he was.

0o0o0o0o0

A small dark shape materialized in the sky, and Artemis stood bolt upright, breathing hard and fast, not bothering to wipe his face. It descended swiftly and gracefully, and details came into focus: long, muscled arms spread to either side; a heart-shaped, beautiful face, a green-and-grey jumpsuit that accentuated her modest body to perfection.

Then she landed, and mismatched eyes flicked up to meet his, and Holly Short stood before him.

0o0o0o0o0

She studied him carefully as she flew down. His hair was long, almost as long as it had been when they had forayed through time. It was easy to make out against his stark white skin, curling down to his shoulders in shiny strands. She thought of her own obtrusively red hair and flushed. His hands were long and thin, curling over the railing that ran around his balcony. His face was turned toward her, but she couldn't quite bring herself to look at it yet.

She landed softly in front of him, and forced her eyes to look into his.

Her heart stopped.

The planes of his face had tightened, leaving perfectly sculpted cheekbones beneath wide-set heterochromatic eyes. His chin was strong, with a bit of a five o'clock shadow. His eyebrows were arched gently on his wide, intelligent forehead.

They regarded each other for a moment with almost detached interest.

"Holly," he murmured, reverently, as if he spoke aloud she would disappear.

She opened her mouth to whisper his name in reply, but began to cry instead, tears slipping one after another over her lashes. He knelt to the ground and took her by the hands, laying his cheek against hers. "I'm here, Holly," he said, still keeping his voice low. "Everything's okay again. If it would make you feel any better, you can punch me."

She let out a shuddery sort of gasp that nearly ripped his heart in two. Extracting her hands from his grip, she clutched his face, staring deep into his eyes.

An unspoken signal passed between them.

Leaning in ever so gently, Holly touched her mouth to his.

Both gasped at the contact; it was sweet in nature and salty in taste from her uncharacteristic tears. She pulled back a second later, feeling a fluttering in her stomach. Now was the best time to say it. "I love you, Arty."

He wrapped his arms around her. "There's a saying: if you love something, let it go. If it was meant to be, it will return to you."

She frowned a little. "I let you go."

He shook his head, smiling. "No. If I had thought it would do an good at all, I would have argued the Council out of effectively banishing me-so I let you go. And you've come back. So I suppose it was meant to be."

There was so much more he wanted to tell her. So Artemis Fowl kissed Holly Short. And that said it all.

0o0o0o0o0

I feel like that was more mature than most of the stuff I've written… anyway, tell me what you think.


	8. Chapter 8

"If I was a Harry Potter character," Holly mused lazily, "which one would I be?"

Artemis thought for a moment. "Well, some of the time you're Ginny. Sometimes you're Hermione. In general, though, I would have to go with Bellatrix."

He dodged the pillow she threw. "Very well," he said, considering it seriously. "Narcissa Malfoy. She did whatever she had to do to protect those close to her."

Holly nodded. "What about you?"

"Why don't you tell me?"

"Snape," she said after a pause. "Or Draco."

Artemis lowered his book and looked across his bedroom at the elf wrapped in his comforter, uncertain whether he was being mocked.

She tried to elaborate. "You used to be Draco-nasty, but you weren't really bad, but your father and the pressure and outside influences forced you to act that way. Now you're more like Snape: good, but you hide it fairly well."

He nodded, ruminating over these assessments.

"How 'bout Lord of the Rings?"

"Who would I be, or who would you?"

"Both," she replied instantly, curling up in more blankets and sinking into them up to her ears.

He took a second to smile at how endearing she looked. "You strike me as an Eowyn. As for me…" he decided to play with her. "Aragorn."

"Aragorn? Are you kidding?" If someone had asked her to describe Artemis, the term "outdoorsy" wouldn't even have crossed her mind. "How on earth did you come up with that?"

"Oh, you know," he said, leaning back and lazily exposing an incisor. "Long, messy hair, stubbly chin, shamelessly seducing the forbidden elf…"

Her mouth popped open. "What-you don't-I'm not-_Fowl_!"

He regarded her coolly. "Do you have a genuine refutation or do you intend to splutter at me until I back down?"

Hewas instantly fixed with a painful glare. "If I was not _hugely_ _comfortable_ right now," she snarled through gritted teeth, "I would be hitting you in the face."

He stood, walked over to the bed, and sat beside her. "Here, now I'm within range," he offered blandly.

Holly scowled.

"Not worth it if it isn't a challenge?"

She shook her head.

"It looks warm in there," commented Artemis.

The elf shot him a dirty look.

"You're also completely incapacitated if I decide to attack you."

Her eyes widened, and she struggled to free herself from her cocoon, but Artemis leaned swiftly forward and laid his nose alongside hers. "Do you want me to grow out my hair?" he asked.

Because shaking her head would be a bad idea in this position, and because the correct answer was "yes," Holly nodded.

"How about the stubble?"

"No," she murmured.

"Why? Because it would make it hard to kiss me?"

She remained silent and still.

"Do you want me to seduce you?"

She snorted. It was a halfhearted noise.

He edged closer. One more nanometer, and his upper lip would brush hers. "Answer the question."

"N-no, of course not," she squeaked. "Why would I? You're a human. Don't be ridicu-"

He reached around her and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. His fingers barely brushed the tip, forcing a little noise out of her. She felt like she was going to explode with frustration.

…sexual frustration.

She growled at him. It came out more enticing than she had intended it to.

Losing his composure, he lifted both his arms and wrapped them around her comforter-encased body, toppling them both into a horizontal position, Holly beneath him. Their foreheads touched and he trapped her eyes with his, staring deep into them.

"Answer the question, Holly. Truthfully."

When No.1 had removed the enchantment from human dwellings that prevented fairies from entering, he apparently had forgotten about fairy compulsion to follow human's orders while inside their domiciles. Or at least, that was what she hoped was the reason for her lips moving without her commanding them.

"Yes," she whispered.

He did as she asked.

0o0o0o0o0

I really don't understand how you all like these…

So, I was thinking of doing a sequel to the "Ladies' Choice" one, where Holly sings for Artemis. Should she sing Bend And Snap, from Legally Blonde (which I picked for pure undiluted sexiness) or something else? Tell me! You know you want to!


	9. Chapter 9

This one is… kind of dark. It fits my mood, so whatever.

0o0o0o0o0

"Artemis," Butler said. "There's an exceptionally hairy, exceptionally short little man a the gate who probably wants to see you."

The boy tensed, knowing what this was about.

Holly.

But there was no way to avoid it. Eventually, he would have to face them.

He swallowed. He could still see the look… the expression on her face, as he had-

"Send him up," he replied, trying to keep his voice even. Butler knew nothing of what had happened between him and the elf.

Confused at his tone, the manservant nodded and left the room.

Hands fisted in his hair, Artemis shut his eyes tightly, again watching the scenario play out. He didn't even remember how they had gotten back onto the subject, but his lie had come up yet again… at his protesting that they avoid the discussion, she became angry, and before he knew it he was yelling… and then…

Mulch strode purposefully into the room. "What the _hell_ did you _do_ to her?"

Artemis stared silently ahead. The dwarf grabbed his shoulder roughly, spinning him around. He looked uncharacteristically angry. "She doesn't eat, won't talk, sits there staring into space. Look at this." Pulling out a cell phone, Mulch called up a picture and shoved it in front of Artemis.

Holly was seated a a table, chin on hand, gazing off to the right.

The dwarf tapped the screen twice, zooming in on her face. There were now-discernable tears streaming from her eyes.

Mulch dragged the image down and to the right, zooming in on her arm. Her sleeve had slipped down her upright forearm, leaving about half of it bare.

Artemis lurched forward, as though proximity could change what he was seeing. "No!" he cried. "What did she _do_?!"

Five thin, angry red scratches ran sideways over Holly's wrist, far too uniform to be accidental. They mocked him. _This is how much pain you caused her. So much she reverted to inflicting physical pain on herself to distract her from it_.

Mulch withdrew the phone. "Well?"

The Irish boy looked at his hands, horrified. "We fought... It was an old issue. She told me I would never change… I was angry already, and I-" he felt the fire that had raged through him at her words; he saw his hand rise back of its own accord; and somewhere, in his mind, he was rational, and regretted the action before it had begun. He remembered the pain in her eyes, how she saw it coming a mile away and was disappointed in him. She hadn't raised an arm to block; she hadn't so much as flinched. "I struck her."

Mulch's jaw literally hit the floor. "And she let you?"

"Don't think it was out of some kind of _sympathy_. She knew it would harm me more to have actually made contact, rather than to try and be thwarted."

"Don't you pin this on her!"

"Don't act like she is blameless!"

They glared at each other for a moment, then relaxed.

"I dunno what to tell you, Fowl," the dwarf said. "Just… gods." Shaking his large head, he left.

And Artemis thought. And thought. And thought.

He sat unmoving, planning and bolstering his courage, long into the night. This would be difficult. But it had to be done.

Holly needed an apology.

Not just any apology. A real apology. One that encompassed his sorrow for every time he had ever hurt her. Every time he had underestimated her or left her out. Every time he had done anything to injure her person or pride in any way. And an apology that expressed his need-not want, need-for forgiveness.

And as everyone knows, there is only one way to say that.

He picked up his communicator, pressing 'Call' before be could change his mind.

"…Arty?" her voice was thick, broken, and shaky.

"Holly," he replied gently, but in a way that told her to remain silent.

She waited.

"…I love you."

0o0o0o0o0

Because it would take something drastic for him to admit it. Really, he's such a wuss.


	10. Chapter 10

**THIS IS A CONTINUATION OF CHAPTER NINE. **

Well, chapter nine was supposed to stand alone. But I am trying (read: failing) to continue… I am sorry for the imminent suckyness.

Dedicated to ARTYSgirl98fowlstar, who's wish is granted - make up kissing is included. ;) And lots of it, as per usual.

0o0o0o0o0

There was an awkward silence.

The awkward silence continued.

The awkward silence continued to continue.

The awkward silence continued to continue to continue.

The awkward silence persisted with continuing to continue to continue for about an eternity.

Then another.

Artemis facepalmed. "My apologies," he said weakly. "That was probably not the best way to put it."

His communicator _ding_ed. Holly was requesting video.

_Does she think my being able to see her will make this any better?_ he wondered, hitting "Accept."

Holly's eyes were wide and red-rimmed, her short hair was a mess, and her shoulders were trembling rather spastically. "Say that again."

"What?" he responded, fairly sure that what he had just now said wasn't worth repeating.

"What you said before what you just said. Say it again," she whispered.

Oh. That.

"Holly, I shouldn't have sprung that on you when you're in this state. I'm sorry…" fancy that, apologizing for the apology. This plan definitely backfired.

"_Say it again!_" she practically snarled, her voice cracking on the third syllable. Slim hands reached for the screen as though she wanted to reach through the connection and shake the answer out of him.

There were no other options. "I love you."

The silence was not at all awkward this time. Having put his feelings far out in the open, Artemis had nothing left to hide. He stared into Holly's eyes, capturing her gaze through the screen. He watched as her breaths became quicker and deeper, her delicate ribcage expanding and contracting frantically. The hands that had reached for him a moment ago now gripped the edge of the table at which she sat.

They looked at each other for a few seconds, Holly becoming more and more discombobulated as Artemis's stare intensified. His eyes were dragging the response out of her. "I…"

"Yes?"

_Dear gods, his voice is _so_ deep… I need to do something_.

"I'll be there in an hour!" she improvised, cutting the link. Ramming her head against the desk a few times to clear her mind, she ran her fingers through her hair. _Foaly. Forget Trouble, I can explain to him later. I need Foaly_.

She _ran_.

She ran so fast that later, multiple people asked her if there had been a fire.

Swinging around the doorway and crashing into the wall, she grabbed the startled centaur by the lab coat. "I need to go topside," she begged, her nose bumping his.

Rather used to emotional outbursts from his best friend, and comfortable in the knowledge that they were always explained later, Foaly checked flare schedules. "There's one to Tara in ten if you hurry."

Just like that, she was gone.

He was tempted to call Artemis and ask… but realized that he might not want to know.

0o0o0o0o0

Pacing.

The great Artemis Fowl the Second had been reduced to _pacing_.

All because of a _girl_.

Shameful.

And yet, he wasn't ashamed in the least.

More pacing.

More pacing.

Holly.

Holly Holly Holly.

Paaaaaaaaacing.

Dammit.

He really needed to stop pacing.

He paced some more.

All because of _Holly_. That tiny, little, redheaded, quirky, sweet, adorable, amazing girl.

Maybe she wasn't angry at all. Maybe she was wonderfully happy at the fact that he loved her and would throw her arms around his neck and kiss the crap out of him.

Then again…

Maybe she was angry with him. Maybe she was royally pissed at the fact that he loved her and would jam her fist into his solar plexus and beat the crap out of him.

Either scenario involved the crap being evicted from his body. Silver lining.

He shook his head, revolted at the juvenility of his thoughts. Really, one would expect more from a Fowl.

He paced a bit more.

_Has it been an hour?_ he lifted his eyes from the path he had treaded in the carpet and glanced around for his clock -

And jumped a foot in the air. Holly was sitting cross-legged on his desk, watching him amusedly.

"I've been here quite a while," she said softly. "Someone's distracted."

"Yes, well, can you deny that I have reason to be?"

Blushing, she shook her head.

Again, they just looked at each other, suddenly shy.

"Arty-" she started, ducking her head.

He stepped forward, laying a finger to her lips to quiet her. "Holly. If you were going to spurn my advances, you would have done so well before now, and I would likely be in a hospital. However, you have not, and so I am going to assume that I have been accepted. Am I wrong?"

She turned an attractive shade of scarlet. Then, almost imperceptibly, she shook her head.

He gazed at her. The love of his life, sprawled lazily on his desk, tousled hair falling over mismatched eyes, long limbs tangled and intricately balanced. She was beautiful. And she was his.

The mark on her face from his hand was still discernible, likely due to some masochism of hers. Each finger was cleanly defined in angry red against the brown of her skin. Leaning forward, he pressed his lips to the center of the palm (she gasped), then spread kisses to the very outlines, showering the passing anger with permanent love.

"I certainly hope," he said between caresses, "that my elf-kissing days are not over."

"Artemis," she murmured as he worked his way down, gasping and wrapping her legs around his waist and her arms around his neck as he sucked gently at the pulse point just under her jaw. "No, they're -_ oh, gods, don't stop _-" she pulled harder at him with her knees, jerking their hips together.

At her oh-so-kind request, he didn't stop licking at her earlobe, except to say, "What do you want me to do?"

"Artyyyyyyyy…"

"Mmm?"

"Kiss me?"

"What was that?"

"Kiss me!"

"You forgot the magic word."

"Please," she begged. She wanted _him_ to kiss _her_, not the other way around. She wanted a physical representation of what his words had already conveyed to her; she wanted to know that she was what he wanted; that she was all he would ever want.

He pressed his forehead to hers, closing his eyes. This moment… this moment would change everything. Not the _first_ kiss; but he first where they were both alive and whole and completely (or mostly, anyway) hormonally unaffected. This was just love. Burning, inflaming, passionate love.

As the sun shined through the open window, softly alighting on the pair, Artemis Fowl kissed Holly Short.

Predictably enough, it did not remain chaste for long. Arms threaded about one another; tongues flicked, then plunged, making them both groan; hands roamed. And roamed.

Remembering her earlier reaction, Artemis reached up and tweaked at her ears.

Holly cried out into his mouth; she jumped at him, tumbling them both onto the floor. She managed to get on top and began frantically fumbling at his buttons, almost ripping them away in her haste.

In a rare display of strength, Artemis stood up, arms wound around her waist, and threw her onto his bed, pulling his shirt off as he crawled over her. Pressing his lips against her neck, he murmured, "I love you."

And this time, there was no apology.

0o0o0o0o0

I need to stop writing these. They are definitely getting progressively worse.


	11. Chapter 11

This stands alone, but could be viewed as a sequel to chapter one of Weakness.

Warning! If you are looking for decent literature, this is not the fic for you.

0o0o0o0o0

Holly sat upright on Artemis's bed, swinging her bare feet over the side. She was feeling good about life for two reasons. One, Artemis was in a _very_ playful mood, a rare occurrence, but one that seemed to grow steadily more frequent. And two, well, she was sitting on his bed, with him sprawled out next to her, talking about inconsequential things.

But she was there for a reason.

"So," she began, unsure how to breach the subject. "Arty."

The man beside her felt his heart thump a little faster at the pet name. "Yes?"

"I wanted to ask you something."

He sat up, making eye contact. There was a nervous quality to her words that he didn't often hear. "What is it?"

"I…" the elf bit her lower lip. "I've wanted... _needed_ to know this for a while, and I wanted to ask before, but I never got up the courage…"

He was wild-eyes now, chest heaving with stunned disbelief. "Holly…?"

She lifted her gaze to meet his squarely. "Artemis Fowl," she began in a whisper.

He nodded, unable to speak.

She suddenly closed her lids, lowering her head. "No. I can't."

He shot forward, grabbing her shoulders a bit roughly. "You can ask me everything, Holly. You know that. Trust me."

She was still chewing absentmindedly on her lip, driving him to distraction. "Okay. Artemis?"

"_Yes_?"

She took a deep breath, and said, "What's your middle name?"

There was a long silence, during which her well-put-together mask cracked, and a hugely amused grin stretched itself across her face.

He sat back on his hands, realizing how completely he had been fooled. Impressive. She was clearly the Irene Adler to his Sherlock Holmes when it came to power plays of the emotional kind.

"You're a cruel woman," he said flatly, not caring if this might hint at his attachment to her.

"Huh. That's a long middle name. Artemis You're-A-Cruel-Woman Fowl. It has a certain ring to it, though."

He shot her a devilish smirk, then shifted onto hands and knees, crawling right up to her, their foreheads touching. "You're in trouble now, Short," he hissed, clawing at the air in front of her.

She fought back the laughter that threatened to overwhelm her, but a little bit managed to slip out. She knew what the 'punishment' would be - a few months ago, Artemis had discovered that she was insanely ticklish. He continued to exploit that every chance he got.

"Oh, you can laugh," he continued as she scrambled away from those talented fingers. "But be prepared to laugh a lot louder soon."

She sighed, rolling her eyes. Melodrama.

In her second of distraction, Artemis lunged, carrying them both to the end of the bed. Her head hung over the edge, and she had to strain her neck to look at him. "Come on, I was only teasing -"

"I know," he returned. "And so am I."

It was a good point. He had never actually hurt her, or brought her to the edge of passing out. But still. That didn't make the sensation of his fingertips on her skin any more bearable.

So Holly shot out of his grip like greased lightning, scooting past him up to the headboard. She felt like actually getting off the bed would be cheating, somehow, in this elaborate game they played.

Then he grabbed her ankle and clamped her leg under his arm and she decided that maybe cheating was the best option available to preserve her sanity.

"Apologize," the human demanded.

Holly swallowed. Her foot was immobile and his other hand was right there, only inches away - "Apologize for what?"

"For thinking," he smirked, looking back over his shoulder at her, "that you could trick Artemis Fowl II and get away with it."

She deliberated silently.

Deciding that she was taking too long, the young genius drummed his fingers across the back of her foot. He didn't look behind him, but judging by the sounds of shifting cloth and muffled squeaks, he was having an effect.

Holly found the will to swallow her pride when he began stroking up towards her toes. "Fine!"

"Fine what?" he asked innocently.

"I'm sorry," the elf grumbled.

"You are forgiven," he granted archly.

She tried to pull her calf out of his grasp, but he held fast with surprising strength. "Arty, let go!"

"No."

"But-"

"I asked you to apologize. I never said anything about letting you go once you did."

She stared owlishly at his back for a few seconds.

He turned and shot her a blinding grin. He winked.

Then attacked the sole of her foot full-force, without mercy, mechanically targeting every sensitive cluster of nerves.

Holly exploded.

She snapped into a sitting position and yanked at his elbow, but was thwarted by his iron grip and the reflexive flailing of her lower body.

So she took the alternate route, jerking away from him instead and, grabbing the headboard for leverage, tried to pull away from him.

When that failed as well, she went all-out and decided to cheat, throwing her body sideways and dragging both of them off the bed.

In a bit of vengeful retaliation, she flipped like a cat so he was on the bottom. He deserved it.

The impact didn't knock the wind out of him as she had hoped. In fact, he looked happy.

Of course, that might have had something to do with the position they found themselves in.

Holly had intended to come to a halt kneeling on her friend's stomach, bracing her hands on his chest. The actual result was somewhat different.

She straddled his torso, legs spread wide and curled around his sides.

Her hands were on either side of his head, forcing her to curl over him, her slightly-longer hair brushing his eyebrows.

This was...interesting...

Artemis stared into her deer-in-the-headlights eyes, a sudden urge hitting him. His Atlantis Complex was cured, certainly, but a shadow of Orion hung about. And for once, he elected to go out on a limb and indulge himself.

His hand slid up Holly's back, gently pulling her to the side and inverting their position so he was on top. He leaned down, brushing his lips over hers.

An electric shock ran through them both at the contact.

Then he pulled away, slowly, to whisper, "James."

And then he was gone.

The poor befuddled elf lay spread-eagled on the floor, puzzling. _James?_

_Oh, right... I asked him his middle name. _

_Artemis James Fowl. That sounds nice. _

_He kissed me. _

She swallowed hard.

_Maybe I should go pay him back. _

_A good punch... But not in the mouth. That would make certain things hard_.

Holy smiled, thinking of those things. Perhaps she could incorporate that into his punishment.

She pushed herself off the floor. Revenge would be sweet.

0o0o0o0o0

I'm sorry. Very very sorry.

IMPORTANT: The name of this fanfiction is going to change! After I finish chapter 12, the "12 days" will be up, so I need ideas for a new name for this story. Review and give me some.


	12. Chapter 12

She didn't want to go back.

The site was highly discouraged anyway.

Of all the places to go to do the Ritual...

But she had to go. It wasn't a desire, it was a need. A need to satisfy that curiosity; quiet her fear. To confirm that honestly, it was just a tree, a stream, and some grass. There was no ambient evil lurking in the bushes.

_Safe. Everything is okay_.

Granted, she was probably out of her mind. But who could blame her? Three months ago she was kidnapped and held for ransom by the most frightening creature any of those involved had ever encountered. Even Root took a little pity on her and let her topside, only raising a brow when she willingly volunteered where she was headed.

The pod ride had seemed longer than usual.

She wasn't flying quickly, as was her norm, but taking the time to fully absorb the beauty of the surface.

Or perhaps that was just an excuse.

It wasn't easy to knowingly steer herself toward site 57, but she did it.

When the old and gnarled oak came into view, she shivered, dropping into a gentle dive.

The terror that had been so long held at bay reared up and coiled around her heart just as her feet were about to touch the dirt, forcing her up and away again.

She ran a thermal. A proximity scan. Infrared.

Nothing.

Holly tried again, dropping down but by bit until her toes brushed the soil near the huge, twisted roots of the sacred tree.

She took a breath, closed her eyes, and shut off her wings, connecting firmly with the ground.

She waited for the whiz of a dart over her shoulder.

_Nothing_.

She waited for a pale, thin boy to step out of the shadows.

_Nothing_.

She waited for a mountain of muscle to steal her weapon.

_Nothing_.

Holly stood a moment longer, then sank to the ground, sobbing in relief.

_It's just a Ritual site. That's all it will ever be. _

_It was chosen at random. _

She dug her nails into the soft earth.

An acorn slipped between her fingers.

There. I just need to go plant it...

_Crack_.

She screamed, drawing her weapon and raising it to shoulder level in an instant.

The silence pressed in in her.

"Who's there?" she shouted into the cold emptiness.

Nothing.

A rabbit came hopping out from under a bush, and nearly met its maker then and there.

_It was a bunny. Just a bunny. Really, get a hold of yourself. _

She leaned on the oak for support, trying to calm her heart.

Her fingertips slipped into smooth grooves in the bark, and she looked up, squinting through the dark. Why were there indentations on the tree...?

Not indentations. Letters. English letters. Her gift of tongues took a bit of time to translate, but she managed to read the two short words.

_Thank you. _

They were carved in such a way that the tree itself would not be harmed, and were beautifully inscribed in a slanting sort of cursive.

Holy instinctively knew who had left them.

_"I need you to heal my mother."_

_"How is she sick?"_

_He hesitated. "She's mentally ill. My father disappeared a few years ago and her health has deteriorated ever since."_

The elf ran her fingers through the grooves, and, for a few absurd seconds, giggled.

_Who would have thought Artemis would be the sentimental type?_

"You're welcome, Fowl," she said aloud, ducking down to grab her acorn. "I'll see you soon."

She activated her wings, rose up, and flitted away, looking for an optimal burial point.

Hiding in the shrubbery a few feet away, Artemis Fowl II smiled, satisfied. When he had stepped on that twig, he'd feared that she would discover him, but luckily the local wildlife took the blame. "Yes, Holly," he murmured in reply to her. "I have no doubt you will."

0o0o0o0o0

Consider this a peace offering. I had a MUCH better one-shot planned, but my iPod ate half of it and I just don't have the energy to rewrite just now. There is another chapter of BtL on the way, but I am having major writers block and the best I can to us this pathetic chapter.

IMPORTANT: the name of this fic will change to "Snippets."


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